Get vietnam visa arrival

Growth of tourism in the country depends on adequate and appropriate infrastructure, which serves the needs of tourists and encourages further investment by enterprises in the competitive tourism industry.

The government had tried to help the tourism industry to mobilize investment capital for infrastructure with its strategic promotional program “Vietnam tourism development, 2001-2010” that eventually attracted investments for 316 projects.

However, progress on many of these projects has either stalled or stopped and in many cases the construction progress is moving at a snails pace. Most of the projects face difficulties such as lack of capital and lack of synchronization and coordination between investors and local authorities.

Saigon Tourist, Vietnam’s leading tourism company, currently runs 70 hotels and resorts nationwide. The travel corporation has implemented many projects, such as the four-star Sai Gon-Vinh Long hotel with a capital investment of VND157 billion, the four-star Sai Gon- Rach Gia hotel at VND177 billion and the five-star Sai Gon-Phu Quoc tourist complex worth US$85 million.

However, any investment by tourism companies in hotels and resorts will not yield the desired profits if local authorities do not pay attention to the basic infrastructure such as electricity, water and road transport, said Mr. Tran Hung Viet, general director of Saigon Tourist.

Recently the Ministry of Transport approved the construction of an airport project at a total investment cost of VND3.4 trillion in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang.

Neighboring provinces and cities are also calling on investors to build regional airports or expand and upgrade existing domestic airports to international status, even without any specific requirement.

The demand for airports by the Mekong Delta provinces and cities is not even rational, added Mr. Viet.

Economic experts say that local authorities will suffer huge losses if airports only fly one or two planes per day. Provinces need to spend more on excellent roadways and river traffic to make travel faster and more comfortable for tourists.

In addition, the government should encourage local authorities to join hands with each other to link traffic infrastructure across provinces to develop effective means to transport tourists and create favorable conditions for potential investors.

Vietnam welcomed 4.3 million international visitors in the first nine months of this year, a surge of 15.5 per cent compared to the same period last year.

According to the General Statistics Office, almost all foreign sources of Vietnamese tourism saw year-on-year increases during the perio. Visitors from China rose by a huge 45 per cent to 980,000, South Koreans by 4 per cent to 380,000 and Japanese by 8.2 per cent to 340,000. Other sources such as Taiwan, the United States and France also recorded positive growths.

Vietnam hopes that good promotions will attract 5.5 million international tourists by the year’s end, 500,000 more than last year, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT).

As one such effort, VNAT last week arranged for 55 domestic tourism companies to participate in “Vietnamese Cultural Days in Russia “.

“Vietnam’s tourism sector is always willing to offer the best services and products to Russian tourists,” said head of VNAT Nguyen Anh Tuan.

Tuan was speaking on the sidelines of a conference to publicise Vietnam’s tourism potential in Saint Petersburg as part of “The Vietnamese Cultural Days in Russia “.

Tuan called on the two countries’ airlines and travel agencies to co-operate in offering new tourism products, helping the two peoples explore destinations in each country.

Vietnam is regaining special attention from Russian visitors, thanks to its warmer climate, long coastline, friendly people and low-priced services, said chairman of the Saint Petersburg ‘s Committee for Investment and Strategic Projects, Aleksei Trichkanov.

He proposed that the two sides open a direct air-route from Vietnam to Saint Petersburg , saying that it would increase travel to both countries.

Last year, Vietnam welcomed almost 83,000 Russian visitors, up 50 per cent over 2009. This year, as many as 120,000 Russian tourists are expected to come to visit.

VietNamNet Bridge – The fact that four countries including Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar join forces to develop tourism is believed to bring new big opportunities to travel firms. However, there are still many things to be done in order to reap the fruits.

New opportunities

Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

The participants at the 7th International Tourism Exhibition (ITE) held in HCM City several days ago all forecast a new wave of investments in infrastructure, hotels, resorts and entertainment complexes in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar in the time to come. Therefore, joining forces in the “four countries – one destination” program will clearly help attract more international investors.

The Lao General Department of Tourism said that the country now has 1028 tourism sites which are awaiting investments. Laos allows to have 100 percent foreign ownership ratio in hotels and restaurants, and 30-70 percent foreign ownership ratios in the travel firms. Tourism is the second foreign currency earner, just after to mining, in Laos, where the tourism growth rate has been stable in the last 20 years at 29 percent per annum.

In Myanmar, investors need to have at least 300,000 dollars to set up a legal entity in the service sector. Foreign investors can team up with domestic companies to set up joint ventures, while they have to contribute at least 35 percent of capital. Myanmar now has 36 hotel projects with 6560 hotel rooms, of which 31 projects have been completed.

The international tourism organization has forecast that the tourists in the world tend to flock to South East Asia and East Asia. In 2010, the region surpassed America to become the second biggest region in the world, just after Europe, in terms of the tourists, accounting for 22 percent of the world’s market share. Meanwhile, the figure is expected to increase to 27 percent by 2020.

Statistics show that ASEAN now attracts 36 percent of the total number of tourists worldwide, and 38 percent of the total revenue from tourism industry in the region.

Analysts have also pointed out that joining forces with regional countries to develop tourism is a wise move. The national flag air carrier Vietnam Airlines said that four out of every 10 international tourists to Vietnam tend to visit many different destinations, and three of them choose to visit Laos, Cambodia, or Myanmar.

Great efforts needed

This is not for the first time regional countries sit together to discuss the cooperation for tourism development. Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia once put forward the idea of joining forces to attract tourists. A project on the tourism sustainable development in Mekong sub-region was initiated and funded by ADB, which aimed to develop infrastructure for tourism and push up the sub-regional cooperation. However, the initial achievements remain modest

Therefore, Vietnamese travel firms say they need to prepare well for the “four countries – one nation program). Tran Hung Viet, General Director of Saigontourist, said that the travel firm has conducted a program on surveying the trans-Indochina and Myanmar tours, and has released the publications providing information about the four countries.

Meanwhile, Vietnam Airlines has increased the frequency of the flights on the air routes to Siem Reap, Phnom Penh in Cambodia, and Vientiane in Laos to 106 flights per week from 59 flights currently.

Vuong Dinh Hai from CFIS Vietnam, a foreign investment research center, said that it is necessary to make heavier investment in infrastructure in order to pave the way for tourism development. More and more tourists travel to Vietnam by sea, while cruises still have to dock at cargo ports, because there still are no specific ports for receiving tourists.

Meanwhile, there has been no legal document on the development of the ports for tourism. The overall strategy on seaport development until 2020 also does not show the investment scale and the details of the tourism ports.

Certain cities around the globe have cult followings built entirely around their street-food cultures. Below, a definitive guide to seeking out the best bites in the world’s most bountiful (and greasy-fingered) destinations.

1. Hanoi, vietnam

The narrow alleyways of the city’s Old Quarter yield a treasure trove of breakfast delicacies for the jet-lagged traveler. Street vendors set up as early as 5:30 a.m. to prepare sweet green rice wrapped in banana leaves, sesame- and coconut-filled dumplings in ginger syrup, and rich coffee poured over sweetened condensed milk (but watch the ice).

2. Los Angeles, California

Near L.A.’s MacArthur Park (at South Park View Street between Wilshire Boulevard and West 7th Street) is old-school vendors trade with hundred of local feature food stores.

3. Ensenada, Mexico

It’s a rare city in Mexico that doesn’t have great street food, but the tacos de pescado in the Baja port town of Ensenada, demand a special pilgrimage. Join the masses at the city’s fish market for corn tortillas piled high with battered fried halibut, shredded cabbage, pickled onions, avocado, jalapeños, and sweet-tangy crema-mayonnaise sauce.

4. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The nation’s first capital is also home to some of its oldest and most beloved portable fare: soft pretzels, Italian ices, and, of course, cheese steaks, now being reimagined in Vietnamese and Mexican versions. Locals get theirs at the century-old, seven-block-long Philadelphia’s 9th Street Italian Market.

5. Singapore

In its many hawker centers (or food courts), such as Chinatown’s Maxwell Food Centre, Singapore delivers a civilized street-food experience — complete with table service. Patrons can usually ditch their belongings at one of the marked tables, browse the offerings (ranging from Chinese fish ball soup to spicy Malaysian pork-rib prawn noodles), and give their table number at the counter.

6. Puerto Rico

The food stands along Piñones Road about 30 miles east of San Juan make some of the island’s best frituras, or fried snacks: coconut arepas, piononos (plantains stuffed with beef), and bacalaítos, a mixture of pancake dough and salted cod. If you hit the strip around sunset, you might even catch an impromptu salsa-thon.

7. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Health-conscious Cariocas, as locals are known, hit up Ipanema’s Sunday market in Praça General Osório square, open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., for grilled-shrimp skewers and the occasional dessert splurge: churros stuffed with dulce de leche. The less guilt-inducing alternative: a fresh coconut drink or an açaí shake from one of the stands along Copacabana Beach.

8. Marrakech, Morocco

In the city’s rambling medina, grilled-meat hawkers will cook to order any cut you bring from one of the many nearby butchers. In the evening, head to the night market at Jemaa el-Fna and settle in at the communal tables for chickpea stew, boiled snails, and strong mint tea poured the traditional way: from a pot held perilously high above the glass.

9. Brussels, Belgium

Art nouveau architecture, the European Union headquarters: Who cares? Brussels is all about the frites (which, we assume, account for the bulk of the nearly 250 pounds of potatoes a typical Belgian consumes annually). At the city’s standard-bearer, the Maison Antoine kiosk in Place Jourdan, the secret to success is in the sauces: pineapple ketchup, beer-flavored carbonnade, and mayonnaise so tasty it’s almost a dish unto itself.

10. Vienna, Austria

Stroll the city center and you’ll encounter numerous Imbisses, stands selling sausages and sliced Leberkäse (a baked loaf of ground beef and pork) topped with mustard and folded into Semmel rolls. And to try the local caffeine fix of choice, head to the cafés of the 18th-century riverside Naschmarkt for a Wiener Melange, an espresso drink with steamed milk and whipped cream.

11. Istanbul, Turkey

Happily for all the travelers who make their base in the Sultanahmet district (home to the Hagia Sophia), the stalls beside the nearby Grand Bazaar can compete with any in this food-rich city. Have your pick of mussel skewers in garlic sauce, grilled corn, roasted chestnuts, and permutations of kebab too plentiful to count. (Feeling adventurous? Try the kokoreç, chopped lamb intestines seasoned with hot pepper and oregano.)

12. Tel Aviv, Israel

Mouthwatering falafel abounds throughout the Middle East, but this waterfront city is also home to a unique treasure: the Iraqi Jewish specialty of sabich, a pita sandwich stuffed with fried eggplant, chopped hard-boiled egg, and pickled cabbage and beets. To get right to the source, head to the stands of neighboring Ramat Gan, where the dish was invented.

13. Bangkok, Thailand

For centuries, Thai food sellers operated out of boats along the canals that formed the city’s main transportation system. In recent years, roadside cafés have all but supplanted the custom, but at Taling Chan floating market on the western edge of the city, vendors still grill fish and steam crabs directly on their boats every weekend from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

14. Portland, Oregon

With more than 400 carts selling everything from Korean tacos to Carolina-style barbecue, Portland is a microcosm of mobile meals. Lunchtime crowds gather near SW 10th Avenue and SW Alder Street; later on, night owls head across the river to SE 12th Avenue and SE Hawthorne Boulevard for deep-fried cherry pies and savory crepes, served until 2 a.m.

Cruise around Nha Trang Bay in Vietnam

About 450 kilometers north of HCMC, on National Highway 1A, Nha Trang City is known for its eucalyptus trees, white sand dunes, lagoons, beaches and Islets. It’s the home of aloe wood trees and yen sao (bird’s nest).

Tourists to Nha Trang should not miss a cruise around Nha Trang Bay to explore the four islets: Mun Island, Mot Island, San Island and Mieu Island.

The Mun Island is popular for scuba diving. Formed by piles of giant black rocks, the islet looks amazing surrounded by pure blue water, white sand and millions of pebbles.

Tourists can dive to eight to ten meters to admire colorful corals and fish. Scuba diving, along with diving instructions and equipment, costs about VND500,000 per person.

A motor boat trip or a parachute trip costs VND300,000. For those unafraid of heights who have a bigger budget a balloon will take you up to see an amazing birds-eye view of the Bay.

The next stop is Mot Island where boats anchor together like a large floating raft. Tourists can enjoy some local specialties and attend a wine party. A wine party is a drinking game where you throw a buoy into the sea and put some bottles of wine on it. The aim is to get the bottles of wine out of the buoy. The game is usually played with loud music playing and is lots of fun.

After Mot island the cruise goes to Soi Island for a lazy break on the beach’s deck chairs. Wooden boats are available to rent to drift along the beach and collect colorful pebbles.

The cruise ends with a visit to Tri Nguyen Aquarium. For ticket cost of VND25,000, follow the tour around the mountain to a gate in the shape of a giant fish’s mouth. Designed as an eighteenth-century battle ship, the aquarium has a wide array of fish, corals and other marine species. The souvenir shop offers handicrafts such as mother-of-pearl encrusted paintings, pearl-made jewelry, brocade cloths and scarves.

Come to enjoy, you will like it very much. Please be kindly advised that you should apply for visa before coming to Vietnam.

Maricelle Rani Wong from Singapore said she was surprised to see such as big waste treatment site. As the second-year student at the National University of Singapore, Wong has visited several rubbish dumps in Singapore but they are much smaller than the one in HCM City in Vietnam.

Other contestants and Miss Earth 2009 showed their interests in the introduction of Kevin Moore, general director of the Vietnam Waste Solutions, the investor of Da Phuoc rubbish dump, about the waste treatment process.

During the trip, the contestant from South Africa consistently took notes in her small notebook while the contestant from Guatemala raised many questions about the treatment process.

After the field trip, contestants met with local women.

Tonight, November 9, 20 out of nearly 90 contestants will perform their talents in the Talent Show at the Diamond Palace in HCM City.

elcome to a world where the colours are more vivid, where the landscapes are bolder, the coastline more dramatic, where the history is more compelling, where the tastes are more divine, where life is lived in the fast lane. This world is Vietnam, the latest Asian dragon to awake from its slumber

Advertisement

Nature has blessed Vietnam with a bountiful harvest of soaring mountains, a killer coastline and radiant rice fields, Vietnam is a cracker. Inland, peasant women in conical hats still tend to their fields, children ride buffalos along country paths and minority people scratch out a living from impossible gradients.

Vietnam is a nation of determined optimists who have weathered war after war, survived colonialism and communism, and are now getting to grips with the wheeler-dealer world of capitalism. Fiercely protective of their independence and sovereignty, the Vietnamese are graciously welcoming of foreigners who come as guests not conquerors.

Don’t believe the hype. Or the propagandist party billboards that are as common as statues of ‘Uncle Ho’. Believe your senses, as you discover one of the most enriching, enlivening and exotic countries on earth.

To escape the buzz of millions of motorbikes, head west to the watery landscape of green fields and sleepy villages in the Mekong Delta. There’s adventure galore to be had on Phu Quoc Island and stunning white-sand beaches to relax on. Back on the east coast at Mui Ne Beach, you’ll be faced with a similar dilemma: action or inertia?

Hoi An might weigh you down – but in a good way – you’re bound to add kilos of made-to-order clothing to your luggage. With an estimated 300 to 500 tailors working in this beautiful city, this is fashionista heaven.

Cycling
Vietnam is ideal for long-distance cycling as much of the country is flat and the shortage of vehicles makes for light traffic. Caution is needed, however, especially on busier roads as traffic can be much undisciplined. Bicycle hire is widely available.

Water sports
In total, Vietnam has 3260km (2021 miles) of coastline. The most popular beaches are Vung Tau, just north of the Mekong Delta; and Nha Trang, near Da Lat, where the clear, turquoise waters offer good snorkeling and scuba diving. Snorkeling and diving equipment can be hired at most beach resorts. Other good beaches can be found at Phan Thiet (south central coast); Mui Ne (noted for its large sand dunes); and the magnificent Ha Long Bay, where some 3000 islands, covered in lush vegetation and dotted with beaches and grottoes, rise out of the Gulf of Tonkin. Access to the islands is by boats, which can be hired in Ha Long City.

Hiking
There is good hiking and horse riding in the beautiful countryside around Da Lat. Guides are recommended and can be hired locally. Generally, the northwest is the best region for hiking. Other good destinations include Bach Ma National Park, Cuc Phuong National Park (near Hanoi) and Lang Biang Mountain (in Da Lat), where guides are compulsory. In the north, Ba Be Lake National Park (which contains several lakes, waterfalls and caves) and Cat Ba National Park on Cat Ba Island also offer beautiful scenery.

Other
Caving enthusiasts may head for the spectacular Pong Nha river caves, northwest of Dong Hoi. Boat trips are particularly popular in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam’s southernmost region, which consists of an intricate network of rice paddies, swamps and forests interlaced with canals and rivers. River cruises also operate on the Saigon River (a good way to see Ho Chi Minh City) or the Perfume River (near Hue).
There are opportunities for visitors to see some of the Vietnam War sights. It is possible to walk part of the Ho Chi Minh Trail, a series of roads, trails and paths used as supply routes by the North Vietnamese during the war. It ran from North Vietnam southward through the Truong Son mountains and into western Laos. The claustrophobic network of tunnels used by villagers and guerrillas during the war at Cu Chi (35km/22 miles from Ho Chi Minh City) and Vinh Moc can also be visited.

The national airline is Vietnam Airlines (VN) (www.vietnamairlines.com). It is however, served by many airlines nearby, including Cathay Pacific (www.cathaypacific.com) and Air France (www.airfrance.com).

Main AirportsNoi Bai International Airport (HAN)is 35km (21 miles) North of Hanoi. To/from the airport: Buses and metered taxis are available to Hanoi with a journey time of approximately 45 to 60 minutes. Facilities: Cafes, shops, duty-free and bureau de change.

Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN)is 7km (4.5 miles) from Ho Chi Minh City. To/from the airport: Metered taxis are available with a journey time of approximately 20 to 30 minutes into the city. Facilities: Snack bar, shops, duty-free and bureau de change.

International cruise facilities are available. There is a ferry service from Phnom Penh in Cambodia to Chau Doc in the Mekong Delta and tickets can be booked through local travel agents or at the dock. In addition, there is a service from Can Tho to Phnom Penh offered by Tourism & Passenger Ship CompanyVinasin (tel: (071) 888 960).

3. Getting there by Rail
It is possible to cross Kunming in the Yunnan province of China by rail to Lao Cai, or from Nanning to Lang Son. There are trains from Beijing-Dong Dang-Hanoi and back. Contact Vietnam Railways (tel: (04) 942 2770; www.vr.com.vn) for details.

4. Getting there by Road
There are routes from China to Lang Son, Mong Cai and Lao Cai, Cambodia through Moc Bai and also to Laos at Lao Bao and Cau Trieu. The Saigon Passenger Transport Company (tel: (08) 920 3623 or 829 7278; www.sotranco.com.vn) operates daily services from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh

VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam plans to cut 97 trillion dong worth of public investments in 2011, which is equal to 10 percent of the total investment capital of the whole society, in an effort to help curb inflation.

According to the latest report by the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) to the Prime Minister, 96,888.3 billion dong worth of public investments will be cut by ministries, branches and general corporations in order to help reduce the total demand of the national economy.

Of this amount, 50 trillion dong worth of investments will be cut because the disbursement period for the 2011 plan will not be extended, while the capital for the 2012 investment plan will not be advanced. Also, 32 percent of the capital from government bonds and 10 percent of the state’s investment credit will be cut.

Vietnam plans to cut 5128 billion dong worth of investment from the state budget, 2547.5 billion dong worth of government bonds and 39,212.2 billion dong worth of investments by state owned economic groups and general corporations.

The main message that the Minister of Planning and Investment, Vo Hong Phuc wants to convey, is that the capital volume to be cut is relatively low in comparison with the total investment capital, and that ministries and localities still hesitate to cut down investments.

The picture of economic groups’ investments

Power, oil, gas, post and telecommunication economic groups do not have high expected investment cut percentages in comparison with the total investment capital, but high expected investment volumes.

The MPI’s report which gathers figures from 22 economic groups and general corporations shows that the economic groups initially planned to invest 350 trillion dong in their projects in 2011. The investment capital to be cut was reserved for 907 projects, which accounted for 10.7 percent of the total capital reserved for development investment.

The Saigon Water Supply Company has been listed as the company which plans the biggest investment cut (50.57 percent of the total investment capital); while Vinalines plans to cut 38.4 percent of its initial investment capital. Other economic groups which plan to cut investments sharply include power group (12,159 billion dong), oil and gas (6595 billion dong), post and telecommunication (3 trillion dong).

The noteworthy thing is that the majority of the investment projects to be cut are the projects on building headquarters, offices and purchasing expensive equipments which do not serve the production and business of enterprises.

The report by MPI to the Prime Minister did not give details about the capital to be cut of the state owned economic sector, which is called the “locomotive of the national economy”. However, the above said figure shows that 10 percent of the initially planned capital investment of the economic sector just aimed to decorate their headquarters instead of focusing on improving the business capability.

Local authorities still linger

The report said that 1709 projects capitalized at 5128.6 billion dong, which were previously to be funded by the state budget, will be cut. Of these projects, 1502 projects are just equal to 21 percent of the number of new projects, and the capital of 3452.8 billion dong for the projects is just equal to 23.5 percent of the 2011’s capital budgeted for new projects.

Especially, MPI has said that many agencies and localities have not submitted reports on tentative investment cuts, including the National Assembly’s Office, the Vietnam Journalists’ Association, the Vietnam Football Federation and 23 provinces and cities, including HCM City, Thanh Hoa and Binh Duong.

MPI has proposed the government to order ministries and branches to complete checking and planning investment cuts prior to May 31.